lapis lazuli
by Voodoo-Radio
Summary: Summer permeated Gaara's bones, and his skin was slick with sweat. Naruto's hands were solid, strong, as they massaged the small of Gaara's back, advancing up his spine and pulling the soaked hair at the nape of Gaara's neck. Naruto/Gaara.


**Notes:** _The One Broken Thing_ timestamp. Takes place before the main story.

**Warnings:** This is a one shot containing swearing, themes of mental illness, and sexual situations. The pairing is Naruto/Gaara. If any of these things are likely to bother you, please think carefully before continuing to read.

* * *

**lapis lazuli**

_a timestamp_

* * *

_July 2009_

It was pretty wondrous how a place that had such bad memories associated with it seemed innocuous and nostalgic after years of being away. Kankurou's house was brand new to Gaara, but the sand was the same, and so was the heat. When he lay on the wicker chaise, he closed his eyes and let red shine. The open-air side of the lanai blunted the sun only with gauzy white drapes. It was almost the same as the rarest moments of his childhood; a quiet calm without expectation to act a certain way. He melted with the warmth, and blended into it, and he could have been one with the desert forever if he hadn't moved away so long ago and fostered a secret fondness for canopy cover.

His heartbeat shook the world in pulses.

A skinny lizard crawled across his fingers, which were curled, his arms hanging off the sides of the chaise. Today was the day Naruto was coming back. Shikamaru was set to get Naruto in a few hours; they'd have to go into the city, and Kankurou's pickup only accommodated two. Gaara knew how to drive, but his license was still void from his last arrest. He would've picked Naruto up himself, if he could, but with his protective siblings around it was impossible. As it was, he was melting and waiting, melting and waiting.

"You look excited." Gaara opened his eyes and stared up at Temari, who was wearing a knowing smirk. Gaara supposed that maybe he, himself, had been smiling a bit, too.

"Ah," said Gaara, "It's Naruto's first time visiting this state, and so far he hasn't got to see anything."

She nodded. "Being hospitalized'll do that to a person."

"Hm." Gaara hummed, raising the syllable an octave to agree. Temari crouched down beside him, looking at the lizard in his palm.

"Hey, do you . . ." Temari started, quietly, which was unusual for her. Gaara let his eyes roll in her direction, "Do you think he'll be okay here? What if it happens again?"

"It won't," Gaara said, in a voice that merited no arguing with. "Naruto doesn't have spells that often; not in a row, certainly."

She went a different route. "I know he doesn't mean it, but Gaara, if he ever raises a hand to you—"

"Don't worry about that." Gaara squinted up at the visible sky. Temari stood up. She blocked out the softened sun, and was haloed by light.

"I know you can take care of yourself, but I'm your sister, and I will always look out for you."

"Do we have to have this conversation every time?" Because it had been more than a year of this same line, over and over. His siblings saw how much Naruto inspired him to change and take the correct medication and embrace adulthood, and they respected that. They adored Naruto, even. But invariably Naruto's transgressions, his own illness, summoned the protective side of them. Gaara got it. Gaara appreciated it, too. But this was a private matter.

"Yes."

"I see. It'll be fine." Gaara tried to sound reassuring, but the expression Temari gave in reply made him feel that he failed.

The lizard darted out of his hand, and, like they tended to do, disappeared into the void. Gaara sighed. He missed Naruto with a bright intensity that made his body shake even when he was lying down, doing nothing. He heart pumped forcefully.

Temari didn't say more, and neither did Gaara.

* * *

"Hey guys, look who it is," said Shikamaru, as he held the door open for Naruto. Naruto lowered his head and flushed, lifting one hand from his crutches to wave at Kankurou, Temari and Gaara. They clustered around him.

"Check you out!" Temari smirked, coming closer and hugging him. He wobbled slightly in her strong grip. "You didn't give Shikamaru too much trouble, did you?" She slapped his back rather roughly.

"Nah," Naruto smiled, but Shikamaru gave her a look—one brow lifted and a slight nod. She laughed at her boyfriend.

Kankurou shook Naruto's free hand, and examined him. "You definitely look better."

"I feel better." Naruto replied, letting himself be escorted by Shikamaru into the living room.

At last, everyone backed away and Naruto tilted his head at Gaara. "Hey."

"Hi," Gaara said, stepping into the space between Naruto's feet. The two of them kissed quickly enough that Kankurou and Temari could pretend they didn't see it. Still, Shikamaru sighed audibly. "Does it hurt?" Gaara then asked, nudging Naruto's bright orange leg cast with his own socked foot.

Naruto nodded and bit his lip and his eyes searched the ceiling. He said "not really," though.

* * *

They spent a lot of the day sitting beside each other on the couch, pretending to be interested in what their three other housemates for the summer were saying. Gaara was pretty sure that his siblings were orbiting them on purpose, because they kept making excuses to stay up. He didn't think Shikamaru much cared, for what that was worth.

However, eventually, the sky was blood-dimmed in color and it was too hot to think properly. Shikamaru and Temari left to their room first, and Kankurou didn't give the impression he wanted to be alone with Gaara and Naruto, even though they were totally seemly when not in private. When his brother retired for the night, Gaara helped Naruto to bed, mindful of the way the blond's injury made him awkward and clumsy.

"Next time," Gaara whispered when he kissed Naruto, "I get to be the one to have you." The heat was making Gaara's eyes fall, heavy. His words dragged themselves out of him slowly. "Tonight, I need you." He was shaking again, missing someone he was touching without a reason.

Naruto palmed his hand into Gaara's forehead. He parted his lips.

* * *

Naruto pushed his slippery fingers inside of Gaara, causing the redhead to curl into himself and press the top of his head into Naruto's chest.

Naruto rambled non-words, and through bewildering arousal, it was something Gaara could understand, the same primal spark spreading through his body as Naruto's fingers slid easily inside of him. Gaara bit Naruto's upper arm when the seal of their connected bodies was temporarily broken. Naruto withdrew his slick fingers and squeezed Gaara's ass, other hand guiding his cock inside.

Gaara shook, band of muscles quivering, trying to acclimate. He gouged his nails into Naruto's collarbone.

"Easy," Naruto growled, kissing Gaara's mouth and bared teeth, "It's okay." Naruto put his own hands over Gaara's tense ones, encouragingly.

Gaara panted, holding onto Naruto's shoulder. Naruto sat up, leaning his back against pillows stacked against the headboard. His legs were straight out. Gaara clung to Naruto's neck and moved more properly into Naruto's lap. He whined, Naruto's hard cock pushing dull and deep in him. He shivered on his knees, angling his hips to take more in their new position. He lowered himself until Naruto was filling him absolutely and they both quieted each other with a quick kiss.

Then they kissed again, much slower, licking and nipping away their shared stress. Gaara felt his own face soften, and he held Naruto's bandaged cheeks as he sucked his bottom lip in relief.

Gaara rolled his hips in small, tight circles at first, and he let go of Naruto; with his right hand he jacked himself off. He sucked on the fingers of his left hand, saliva cooler than anything else, _everything else_, threatening to kill him.

Summer permeated Gaara's bones, and his skin was slick with sweat. Naruto's hands were solid, strong, as they massaged the small of Gaara's back, advancing up his spine and pulling the soaked hair at the nape of Gaara's neck.

Naruto breathed out "Gaara," and it was too much.

Gaara pumped his own cock brutally while Naruto held his ass open and fucked up into him, bending his uninjured leg for leverage. Naruto kissed the damp hair stuck to Gaara's temple, chanting out an echo of their affection for one another. "It's okay, you're okay."

He couldn't swallow. Gaara closed his teeth over his knuckles.

"You gonna come for me?"

"Mm."

"Come on, come on."

No, no, he couldn't help it. Euphoria uncoiled from inside him, a sensation shooting through his abdomen and tightening his scrotum. He was mindless, a writhing wet mess in Naruto's grip, utterly pinned by arms and cock. He wrenched his own erection until his come spilled sticky and slow on Naruto's chest.

Naruto made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a moan. "You did it. Fucking amazing." He pushed back the blond hair obscuring his eyes and smiled. He was luminous in the pitiless glare of the descending nighttime sun.

Gaara shook his head and hugged Naruto, too high to mind their filthy condition. He couldn't even handle this guy, not even a little. No, Naruto made Gaara stupidly lovesick.

"Your . . . turn," he said, rolling his hips again.

* * *

"You look good, rockin' the sunnies." Naruto pointed his face towards Gaara's sunglasses. Naruto had wandered out onto the lanai in khaki shorts, leaning onto his crutches lazily. It wasn't quite noon, so the vivid, searing fire of summer had yet to begin for the day. There was a rather pleasant breeze even, despite the sunshine.

Gaara smiled a little. He motioned Naruto towards him. "Here, lie down. I've been meaning to sign your cast. Let me get something to write with."

When Gaara opened the screen door, Kankurou was there, before him, a marker proffered. Gaara frowned.

"You guys aren't going to stop watching us, are you?"

"Just looking out for you, kid."

Gaara took the marker and turned away without replying. He went back outside.

"I wish this didn't happen," Naruto said, with a wave in the direction of his broken leg. "I wanted to walk barefoot in the sand." He looked up at the way the clouds streaked yellow and green in the ridiculously blue sky through the sheers with an expression Gaara deemed wistful.

"You still can. I'll help you."

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto said, and looked out into the desert. Gaara followed his eyes. It was his favorite world, one that was always bright and warm and achingly mysterious.

He sat on the chaise and pulled Naruto's wrapped leg into his own lap. He capped the marker after thirteen strokes.

* * *

Timestamp Tracklist:

**フジファブリック** - 夜明けのBEAT  
**Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Soundtrack **– Fire Temple (Original/Uncensored version)  
**NICO Touches the Walls** - ニワカ雨ニモ負ケズ  
**Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch** – Sweet Nothing (Diplo & Grandtheft Remix)


End file.
